Unisus welcomes boarding students to new dormitory

By Brennan Phillips

Western News Staff

Unisus, the new private school in Summerland, celebrated the official grand opening of their new dormitory with an open house on Oct.5, giving the public a chance to tour the new building and the renovated Glenfir building.

Last September, Unisus opened its doors to local primary students and this year, with the completion of the three story dormitory, added Grades 8 to 10 and international students to its enrollment.

The school currently has over 70 students, with over 50 local children in the pre-school to Grade 7 classes. In their secondary classes, five of 21 students are from Canada, while the rest are attending from countries including Mexico, Brazil, China, Kenya, and Vietnam.

“Boarding is a unique experience,” said Nigel Toy, Unisus board member and advisor on boarding students. “Modern boarding, the facilities are usually tremendous, and none better than what’s built here.”

Read More: Unisus students raise money for Summerland Food Bank

Construction of the new dormitory cost an estimated $14 million according to Rich McLeod, the director of operations for Unisus. The new dormitory took 14 months to build, and the accreditations were completed just in time for the first students to arrive for this school year.

Unisus students gave tours of the school's new dormitory as part of the official grand opening on Oct. 5. The school already boasts 21 boarding students, the majority of whom are international. (Brennan Phillips - Western News)

The new dormitory can host up to 92 students, with shared rooms as well as a large lounge where the teenagers can hang out and relax. Each of the rooms has their own bathroom and shower, as well as desks for students to work at. McLeod also pointed out the amounts of natural light in the rooms and the building.

Students are taught a curriculum based on the International Baccalaureate system, and outside of their classes, have access to the gymnasium; weights and music rooms; and the innovation room, where they can learn with and about VR technology and 3D-printing.

The dining hall provides three meals a day, and students learn about healthy foods and the culinary skills to prepare their own meals.

For more information about Unisus, you can visit their website at www.unisus.ca.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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